Joseph Haydn
Joseph Haydn (March 31, 1732 – May 31, 1809) was an Austrian composer. He was one of the most important, prolific and prominent composers of the classical period. He is often called the "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to this genre. He wrote 77 works for this combination, published here by Pro Arte Music. A life-long resident of Austria, Haydn spent much of his career as a court musician for the wealthy Hungarian aristocratic Esterházy family on their remote estate. Isolated from other composers and trends in music until the later part of his long life, he was, as he put it, "forced to become original". At the time of his death, he was one of the most celebrated composers across Europe. He was also a close friend of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a teacher of Ludwig van Beethoven.